The women's league in a statement said it noted "with regret" the smear campaign launched against Mkhwebane.

"Since her office released the CIEX report, Adv Mkhwebane has endured enormous attacks from those who are implicated, their proxies, defenders and beneficiaries of the CIEX loot.

"SARB, instead of focusing on complying with the remedial actions of the report and supervise the bank sector that is untransformed and some of the banks exposed by Competition Commission for manipulating the South African currency, has joined the smear campaign to discredit the Public Protector.

The ANCWL further accused SARB of attempting to divert attention from the CIEX report with accusations that the public protector was colluding with the SSA and Presidency.